#PHEW THIS WAS LONG

[swallowpit]

@lgbtcorp / [ 22 ] a city street teeming with news vehicles, camera crews, and reporters

kara isn't an anchor or a presenter or -- anybody when it comes to things like this but she what she does know is a situation developing; there's a tension in the air and it's split between the protestors and the people protesting the protest. it's supposed to be peaceful, according to the message boards she's found and the initial rally call. it's a five mile walk along the national city grid mainstreet, led by a mish-mash of alien rights activists but no stand out leader. maybe it's purposeful, as alex suspects, to avoid there being a sole target for ire, but it's led to a mixed message and an even more mixed crowd gathering. the walk hasn't even started yet but of course, of course, they chose l-corp as the site of their initial meetup.

now, most of the posts she's seen claim that it's coincidence. that l-corp very purposefully put their building at the intersection where the mainstreet really begins, overlooking the harbour, and it's a logical place to meet to begin the walk. that either way they would begin or end in the same place, so be grateful they're taking the attention away as they move onwards.

except right now, between the angry screaming from the anti-alien demos lining the barricades, and the dangerously inciteful rhetoric coming out of some of the more extreme protestors... it's feels like a powder keg. as more and more people show up to walk, the crowd is becoming a crush. the police aren't helping, the security guards at the front of l-corp insisting people step back out onto the road are also adding to the tension.

and of course, the press. sidelined to opposite street, behind a cordon barricade, kara stands with her phone as she live tweets and george, one of the bigger camera guys who insisted on coming along when he heard she was heading down here (she hadn't the heart to tell him she really would be fine), with a steady cam mounted on a handheld keeps blocking behind her. they aren't the only reporters. the press corner is clogged, end to end, with fox news and msnbc and bbc and so many different news outlets she can't even name some of them.

and all of this is chaotic in and of itself, but her senses kick into overdrive when a ripple goes through the crowd - outrage for some, awe for others, ambivalence and eye rolling and teeth sucking and, in one case, a laugh that's satirical and cruel she's going to fucking die - and kara switches her brain into overdrive. lena luthor is in the lobby of l-corp. lena luthor has descended from her floor fifty office and into the foyer, twenty feet from the glass doors which separate her from a crowd of angry protestors and angrier anti-demonstrators and she looks... guilty? confused? torn?

kara peeks over her glasses and tries to get a decent look at her face and it's all too obscured by the hundreds of skulls separating them and silently, to herself, kara thinks harder than she has ever thought: don't do it. for once, lena, stay in your fucking building and don't come out here. don't come out here.

[justsomerandomplanet]

Hello! I just wanted to say I absolutely adore all of your art and thank you for all the ancient ones/Heian era content (especially Kenjaku 👀...) I would absolutely love to hear all of your drabbles about it! I have my own stuff too about them but I live for any JJK Heian era stuff lol.

Anyway, mostly wanted to drop by and say thank you for showing us your amazing art ❤️ I look at it every day, it makes me so happy!

Helloooo,

Thank you so much for your kind words!! I'm happy that you enjoy my silly self indulgent art hehe

As for my thoughts on em, I'll put them underneath here so the post doesn't appear too long on the dashboard ^-^

(I'll mostly just share my thoughts on the character dynamics bc I'm not knowledgeable about the actual history of the Heian Era)

Tengen & Kenjaku

Oh where do I even begin!!!

I genuinely believe the two of them are the reason the jujutsu system is the way it is in modern times (more so the former than the latter especially). Although we don't actually know much about what the two were like previously, the implications on their dynamic is so delicious.

For one, I definitely see that they care(d) about each other. The fact Tengen was still aware that Kenjaku was alive and yet still did nothing even though they had prevuously tried to sabotage the merging raises a lot of eyebrows...like why would you let a criminal in the jujutsu history go??? I understand that Tengen's whole thing is that she doesn't interact with the real world anymore, but she can definitely communicate with the other sorcerers to do her bidding when necessary (e.g. telling the sorcerers to let Riko enjoy her youth before the merging while protecting her). On the other hand, Kenjaku always seems to seek out Tengen. Calling her an old friend, always trying to bring her in a conversation, insulting her as if they could get a reaction out of her...oh there's definitely something here that can be explored.

I do believe they had a falling out and that falling out is the reason things have become this way. Tengen's innaction as a way to maintain the status quo (traditions) and Kenjaku's curiosity as a drive to break that status quo (innovation) has led us here. And I do believe Sukuna and Yuuji reflect that too, but that'll be for a different time to ramble on.

Tengen & Immortality

To me, Tengen can feel paradoxical/hypocritical sometimes. She states she did not want to evolve into a higher being yet allows others to treat her like she is one, to protect her and also isolating herself. She often speaks in a way that presents humble but has an arrogance about herself as well (e.g. she is the best barrier user even tho she hasn't really been challenged on it for the past 500-ish years or the merging of star plasma vessels was necessary for the greater good-which is true-but also as a way to maintain herself). She said change in herself was inevitable and detached herself from the real world yet built a foundation in jujutsu that relied on her barriers and did not allow change for like a 1000 years.

Whether or not she meant these things intentionally is hard for me to say bc i don't think Tengen is malicious or means ill-will, but I do think in some way, Tengen is more afraid of change or even death than anyone else and has built a foundation to a society that relies on her existence, leading to a stagnation. I find that fitting that her CT is Immortality, it sorta reflects that don't you think? But like a star, sooner or later, change and death is inevitable.

Tengen, Sukuna, & Kenjaku

These guys had a history. What that history is idk but personally I do believe Sukuna is the youngest out of them. I like to think Sukuna was the pet project of Tengen and Kenjaku. Not necessarily that they're his parents or anything (tho that would be funny) but rather more like...a pupil or a dysfunctional found family dynamic. Sukuna already knows he was an unwanted child but that doesn't mean he didn't have any connections with people growing up. I do think Tengen and/or Kenjaku helped Sukuna in becoming who he is.

Plus, Tengen keeping Sukuna's mummiffied corpse (with the implication that she was the one to do it) and Kenjaku seemingly being the only one able to hold some level of control over Sukuna's head just tells me something is up with those three that screams a psychological power imbalance. Also also, if Tengen had the corpse but the fingers were scattered, when exactly did Kenjaku split his soul? (this is more of a musing more than an actual question. I just think it would be delicious if Tengen allowed Kenjaku to see Sukuna's dead body-which led to the cursed fingers albeit without her knowledge but shrug)

Kenjaku, Love, & Motherhood

Saving da best for last, oh Kenny! I did a lot of rambling on Tengen but tbf there's so very little stuff on her I have more thoughts to share, but Kenjaku is really my favourite character in all of jjk. They're so fascinating, their curiosity driving them but also spite (just like me fr)

No but in all seriousness, Kenjaku is such a fun but sad character. Clearly, whatever happened between them and Tengen led to where they are, which I find fascinating. I know they're doing things cause of curiosity, but sometimes it does feel like they're trying to prove something (namely to Tengen). The implications that they may have grown up lonely, was friends with Tengen but had a break up, and still talks about making friends...AUGHHH

This leading to the theme of motherhood is also great. What's a better way to build a connection and to create innovation than from your own blood. Yuuji may not have a "role" as Kenjaku told Choso, but I think that's the whole point. Maybe Yuuji was made to hold Sukuna or cursed objects, who knows, but Kenjaku purposely letting him develop himself, for better or worst, definitely feels right.

And in a way I do find it enjoyable Yuuji doesn't actually care enough about Kenjaku. Yes he's trying to stop Kenny but there isn't necessarily any personal stakes that he's aware of, and I find that enjoyable for the irony: Kenjaku being so invested in Yuuji yet he won't even see it. Kenjaku, who is clearly obsessed with motherhood, fetuses, and children, cannot even get the attention of their own child.

[cookinguptales]

So I’ve been enjoying the Disney vs. DeSantis memes as much as anyone, but like. I do feel like a lot of people who had normal childhoods are missing some context to all this.

I was raised in the Bible Belt in a fairly fundie environment. My parents were reasonably cool about some things, compared to the rest of my family, but they certainly had their issues. But they did let me watch Disney movies, which turned out to be a point of major contention between them and my other relatives.

See, I think some people think this weird fight between Disney and fundies is new. It is very not new. I know that Disney’s attempts at inclusion in their media have been the source of a lot of mockery, but what a lot of people don’t understand is that as far as actual company policy goes, Disney has actually been an industry leader for queer rights. They’ve had policies assuring equal healthcare and partner benefits for queer employees since the early 90s.

I’m not sure how many people reading this right now remember the early 90s, but that was very much not industry standard. It was a big deal when Disney announced that non-married queer partners would be getting the same benefits as the married heterosexual ones.

Like — it went further than just saying that any unmarried partners would be eligible for spousal benefits. It straight-up said that non-same-sex partners would still need to be married to receive spousal benefits, but because same-sex partners couldn’t do that, proof that they lived together as an established couple would be enough.

In other words, it put long-term same-sex partners on a higher level than opposite-sex partners who just weren’t married yet. It put them on the exact same level as heterosexual married partners.

They weren’t the first company ever to do this, but they were super early. And they were certainly the first mainstream “family-friendly” company to do it.

Conservatives lost their damn minds.

Protests, boycotts, sermons, the whole nine yards. I can’t tell you how many books about the evils of Disney my grandmother tried to get my parents to read when I was a kid.

When we later moved to Florida, I realized just how many queer people work at Disney — because historically speaking, it’s been a company that has guaranteed them safety, non-discrimination, and equal rights. That’s when I became aware of their unofficial “Gay Days” and how Christians would show up from all over the country to protest them every year. Apparently my grandmother had been upset about these days for years, but my parents had just kind of ignored her.

Out of curiosity, I ended up reading one of the books my grandmother kept leaving at our house. And friends — it’s amazing how similar that (terrible, poorly written) rhetoric was to what people are saying these days. Disney hires gay pedophiles who want to abuse your children. Disney is trying to normalize Satanism in our beautiful, Christian America. 

Just tons of conspiracy theories in there that ranged from “a few bad things happened that weren’t actually Disney’s fault, but they did happen” to “Pocahontas is an evil movie, not because it distorts history and misrepresents indigenous life, but because it might teach children respect for nature. Which, as we all know, would cause them all to become Wiccans who believe in climate change.”

Like — please, take it from someone who knows. This weird fight between fundies and Disney is not new. This is not Disney’s first (gay) rodeo. These people have always believed that Disney is full of evil gays who are trying to groom and sexually abuse children.

The main difference now is that these beliefs are becoming mainstream. It’s not just conservative pastors who are talking about this. It’s not just church groups showing up to boycott Gay Day. Disney is starting to (reluctantly) say the quiet part out loud, and so are the Republicans. Disney is publicly supporting queer rights and announcing company-supported queer events and the Republican Party is publicly calling them pedophiles and enacting politically driven revenge.

This is important, because while this fight has always been important in the history of queer rights, it is now being magnified. The precedent that a fight like this could set is staggering. For better or for worse, we live in a corporation-driven country. I don’t like it any more than you do, and I’m not about to defend most of Disney’s business practices. But we do live in a nation where rights are largely tied to corporate approval, and the fact that we might be entering an age where even the most powerful corporations in the country are being banned from speaking out in favor of rights for marginalized people… that’s genuinely scary.

Like… I’ll just ask you this. Where do you think we’d be now, in 2023, if Disney had been prevented from promising its employees equal benefits in 1994? That was almost thirty years ago, and look how far things have come. When I looked up news articles for this post from that era, even then journalists, activists, and fundie church leaders were all talking about how a company of Disney’s prominence throwing their weight behind this movement could lead to the normalization of equal protections in this country.

The idea of it scared and thrilled people in equal parts even then. It still scares and thrills them now.

I keep seeing people say “I need them both to lose!” and I get it, I do. Disney has for sure done a lot of shit over the years. But I am begging you as a queer exvangelical to understand that no. You need Disney to win. You need Disney to wipe the fucking floor with these people.

Right now, this isn’t just a fight between a giant corporation and Ron DeSantis. This is a fight about the right of corporations to support marginalized groups. It’s a fight that ensures that companies like Disney still can offer benefits that a discriminatory government does not provide. It ensures that businesses much smaller than Disney can support activism.

Hell, it ensures that you can support activism.

The fight between weird Christian conspiracy theorists and Disney is not new, because the fight to prevent any tiny victory for marginalized groups is not new. The fight against the normalization of othered groups is not new.

That’s what they’re most afraid of. That each incremental victory will start to make marginalized groups feel safer, that each incremental victory will start to turn the tide of public opinion, that each incremental victory will eventually lead to sweeping law reform.

They’re afraid that they won’t be able to legally discriminate against us anymore.

So guys! Please. This fight, while hilarious, is also so fucking important. I am begging you to understand how old this fight is. These people always play the long game. They did it with Roe and they’re doing it with Disney.

We have! To keep! Pushing back!

[aeonmnei]

— “i’m home,” hajime calls from downstairs. you glance at the clock as you put your book down, sliding your feet into your slippers. “welcome back,” you reply, plodding down the stairs with a yawn. “long game?” 

he runs his hands through his hair tiredly as he leans his elbows on the kitchen counter. “like you wouldn’t believe.” you frown, and wrap your arms around his waist from behind. “there’s leftovers in the fridge. i’ll make you a bath while you eat?” you ask, patting his hip. 

hajime groans softly, his hands on his face. “that sounds great,” he murmurs. “sorry i came home late again.” “s’okay,” you assure him, rubbing his back. “i’ll wash your hair, too.”

you sit outside of the bathtub on a stool, lathering his shampoo in your hands as he leans his head back. “lean forward just a bit, my love,” you urge. he complies, letting you run your fingers through his hair in a comfortable silence.

he takes a deep, ragged breath as your hands move to massage the knots in his back and shoulders. you furrow your brows in concern. “does that hurt?” you can see the bump of his spine as he leans his head forward. “no,” he mumbles, and he relaxes, letting out a shuddering exhale. “no. feels nice.”

after a few quiet moments, you press a small kiss between his shoulder blades. “love you forever, haji.”

[risestarkiss]

Orange, Baby!

Rise Ramblings #316

When I think about Mikey, this scene always comes to mind.

As soon as they step foot in the library to save Mayhem, Angelo instantly disqualifies himself…hilariously.

On first watch, I found it interesting that he made this decision with no hesitation, especially given the stakes.

At the time I just resigned to him being a silly silly boy, but now I know better.

Yet, before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s explore who Mikey is.

Michelangelo Hamato is the youngest turtle in the family, and it shows.

Consequently, he seems to possess a certain “youngest brother privilege" that his other brothers just can’t help but reinforce. This is the role that Mikey was born into. Therefore, he doesn’t have to push himself to be the smartest, or cleverest, or strongest turtle.

Instead, he decides to be the artist of the family. He’s a creative! He expresses himself everywhere, from stickers on his own shell, to tagging the lair, as well as on paper. The world is his canvas!

Michelangelo also expresses himself in virtually everything he does, so it’s easy to understand why he’s the most open, honest, caring, and emotionally expressive turtle of the bunch. To some it could be seen as a weakness, yet Mikey uses his emotional intelligence as a pillar of strength, of which he utilizes to uphold his brothers when they need support the most.

In the show, Michelangelo often takes on certain personas; Doctor Feelings and Doctor Delicate Touch. (For some reason, they are all doctors, but that’s beside the point.)

At first glance, the personas could be seen as silly bouts of make-believe. But I think that placing these roles upon himself for his brothers' sake is Michelangelo’s way of helping them cope with the world by offering them what they each individually lack.

For instance, Raph, Leo, and Donnie have trouble voicing their discomforts when someone does something they don’t like.

In other words, they have trouble putting their foot down.

But here is Mikey to the rescue!

Dr. Delicate Touch has no such hang-ups.

Similarly, when Donatello runs into trouble, as he is unable to recognize his own emotions, it’s up to Doctor Feelings to help his desperate client in need.

Through taking on these roles, Mikey is able to support his brothers and fill the emotional gaps in his teammates, which, inevitably makes them all stronger.

How is Mikey able to do this and how does he have the strength to take on these roles?

You could think that it’s just in his character, meaning, it’s just how he is. I don’t think so, though. He’s a free thinker, and a creative, but there’s something about these roles that is specifically catered to the needs of his family.

Then I realized, the only reason that Mikey is able to help his brothers in this way is because they first helped him.

Let me explain.

All four of the boys grew up in the same household. Although Splinter tried his very best (there is no Splinter hate here), a single depressed parent doth not a stable child make. Raphael struggled with the burden of his responsibilities as an ad hoc leader (see Being Big Red), Leo struggled with expressing his natural talents as a middle child (see Being Baby Blue), all while Donnie struggled with carving out his place on the team and his feelings of uselessness (see Being Purple Part One and Part Two).

Well, what does Mikey struggle with?

In my humble opinion, nothing.

The struggles of his brothers all related to each turtle coming to terms with themselves and coming to terms with their place on the team.

Yet, due to the love and support of his brothers and father, Michelangelo never had to ask himself if he belonged, struggle with his role on the team, or make huge life-changing decisions that could affect everyone.

Michelangelo is free to just be Michelangelo.

And as a free spirit who is completely in tune with his own emotions, he is able to do things like this:

and this,

and this.

Let’s get back to the scene in the library.

Angelo sees the high stakes of his friend’s pet disappearing forever if they fail but makes the decision to disqualify himself anyway. Why? Because he knows that no matter what he does, it will all be ok.

He has complete faith in his brothers and their ability to solve the problem at hand, so he might as well have some fun.

This not the first time he’s come to this conclusion.

Through out this entire scene, Michelangelo plays in the background.

It’s scenes like this that makes me believe that Mikey’s faith in his family knows no bounds.

Altogether, his brothers and his father were everything he needed to become who he is. Reciprocally, he is free to be everything that they need him to be and more. Over…

and over,

and over again

he trusts them completely.

And through this unwavering trust in his family, he is able to trust himself and his instincts. He knows that with everything they’ve poured into him, he can save them from, well, everything. Over…

and over…

and over again.

Hence, due to all of this evidence, I believe that through the collective love of his family, Michelangelo became the best version of the Hamato spirit, and thus, the best Mystic Warrior of all time.

All because, he’s Orange, baby!

○○○○

Previous | Being Big Red • Being Baby Blue • Being Purple ○ Part One • Being Purple ○ Part Two

Finale | Being Hamato Yoshi

[synchodai]

I get this impression that House of the Dragon doesn't get that "named" heirs aren't really the norm in Westeros. If it were that easy for someone to just give everything to their favorite child, Randall Tarly wouldn't have needed to force Sam to go to the Wall and Tywin could have simply chosen Cersei over Tyrion as heir of Casterly Rock.

If we look at the history Westeros borrows from, the concept of "naming" heirs wasn't really a thing in medieval England. Landed gentry didn't have direct say over the order of succession until the Statute of Wills in 1540. Before then, land and subsequent titles could only be inherited through agnatic primogeniture.

Agnatic primogeniture prioritized the living, eldest, trueborn son. Claims can only be passed on patrilineally. This means that a grandaughter can inherit a claim of her grandfather's titles through her father, but a grandson cannot be given the same through his mother. However, if his mother finally does have land and titles under her own name (not under her father's), only then does her son and other children enter the line of succession.

The reason it was like this was because it kept land and titles under one family. Daughters are less preferred because when they are married, they become part of their husband's family — meaning that any titles they receive will be inherited through a new line. This wouldn't be an ideal situation because it gives two families claims to the titles. The more claimants there are, the more unstable the hold the owner has.

In other words, agnatic primogeniture was practiced for stability. Because back in the day, titles weren't just property or land. They came with governorship over a people, so a stable and predictable transfer of titles was necessary to avoid civil conflicts and questions of legitimacy.

A landed lord or lady wasn't given the right to designate heirs for a few reasons:

Most of them were vassals who oversaw the land in the name of someone higher up. It technically isn't even theirs to give away (see: feudal land tenure).

The wishes of a human being are less predictable than having a determined line of succession based on birth order. What if he becomes incapable of declaring an heir either through illness or disability? What if he's captured and a bad actor forces him to name this person heir under threat of violence?

People died unexpectedly all time. This was before germ theory and modern medicine — child mortality was extremely high. With no refrigeration technology, a single poor harvest could mean dying from starvation. Bandits, cutthroats, and raiders were a constant threat. They could not afford to rely on a person choosing a different heir every time the old heir drops dead, because the landed lord/lady could die just as suddenly.

Even 21st century families stab each other in the back over who gets grandma's house — so imagine having an uncertain line of succession in the middle ages over a life-defining lordship and without a modern-day court system to mediate.

Going back to HotD, whenever Targaryens did go against the established line of succession, they could only have done it by consolidating the support of their vassals. Only royalty seemed to have the power to bend agnatic primogeniture, but even then they were beholden to it.

When Jaehaerys I ascended the throne over Aerea, it was mainly because there were those who saw Maegor the Cruel's act of disinheriting Jaehaerys as null and void. This restored Jaehaerys place in the line of succession above Aerea.

And when Rhaenys was passed over for Baelon, Jaehaerys had to convene his lords and offer compelling reasons as to why — her young age, her lack of an heir, her Velaryon last name, etc. It wasn't a given that just because she was a woman that she was ineligible. If he was doing it purely out of misogyny, he still had to legally justify his misogyny in order to strip away her rights.

Even after consolidating support, the book mentions Jaehaerys I and Viserys I's respective hold on the crown was still weakened. Even though their claims were backed by reasons cosigned by a powerful majority, they still had to ensure the security of their rule through other means. There were people who doubted their right to rule, and those people had to be placated with gifts (by Viserys) or intimidated into submission (by Jaehaerys).

So we come to Viserys I who never gave his vassals a reason why Rhaenyra should supercede his three sons other than, "I said so." Had he convened with his lords and maybe made the argument that a first marriage takes precendence over a second one, then maybe he could have set a new precedent and gathered support.

But no, he didn't. He relied on the power of his own words and the lords' personal oaths — oaths that he didn't exactly plan how he would enforce posthumously.

And the Realm did not choose to adopt a different succession law after Jaehaerys's designation of Baelon in 92 AC or the Council of Harrenhal choosing Viserys on 101 AC. If those two events did change anything, it was that now women were exempt from the line of succession for the crown and only the crown. It did not set the precedence that monarchs could freely choose heirs. It did not upend the whole system; it only made a tweak, as most lawful policy-changes do, by carving out at an exception. It was a committee, not a revolution.

Before and after the Dance, no other monarch, lord, or lady "declared" an heir that went against agnatic primogeniture, save for Dornish who have cognatic (equal-gender) primogeniture instead. Ramsay had to get rid of Roose Bolton's living trueborn son AND be legitimized by the crown in order to be recognized as heir (only a crowned monarch can legitimize baseborn children which is another world-building pillar a lot of people miss). Randall basically had to force Sam to abdicate because he wanted his younger brother to inherit instead. And of course, Tywin despite his intense hatred of Tyrion is forced to acknowledge him as his heir.

The rigidity of the line of succession is a major and constant source of conflict in the series, so it baffles me that people really thought that characters could just freely choose their heirs. That's why we have a civil war. It wasn't a misunderstanding. It's the expected consequences of someone carelessly going against a foundational tenent of the society they inhabit.

[buckyscap]

this part always gets me giggling kicking my feet twirling my hair. when wade kept asking about logan's suit saying he just wanted to bond, logan said "well then talk about something else"

he's practically showing us he's not against talking to wade at all, unlike how he wants us to believe by being so grumpy and telling him to stfu all the time.... that scene really got me going "aw he wants to bond? 🥺" in the theatre

[pralinesims]

Some of my CC faves, makeup + genetics edition!

Yesterday I've posted my favorite accessory CC pieces, today I'm continuing with a few of my most beloved makeup or genetics items.

Eyes | Eyebrows

Dazzling Light // 1. Elodie

Heaven // 2. Trance

Lullaby // 3. Domino

Emotion // 4. Jeffrey

Sweet Lies // 5. Sam

Irene // 6. Lotto

Eyeshadows | Eyeliners

Sagefire // 1. Rem

Macchiato // 2. Hass

Sunny Strawberry // 3. Amusement Park

Ice Queen // 4. Lynx

Dromi // 5. Arabica

Butterfly's Dance // 6. Lovesong

Blushes | Lipsticks

White Peach // 1. Arcana

Star Shower // 2. Underworld

Daisy // 3. Pomegranate Jelly

Cloud 9 // 4. Americano

Wine // 5. Delight

Judith // 6. Salmon

Skin Details | Skins

Maple Freckles // 1. Flower

Lucien Contour // 2. Livia

Aurion Dimples // 3. Honeydew

Faron Monolid Mask // 4. Face Skin Overlays

Jetlag Eyebags // 5. Sunflower

Angelus Nose Mask // 6. Lychee

Random | Artsy

Crystal Lip Gloss Overlay // 1. Perla Confetti

Temza Lashes // 2. Valkyrie Eye Glitter

DIY Eye Kit // 3. Ritual Facepaint

Havoc Scars // 4. Weekend Face Details

LYLC Highlighter // 5. YaYaYa Bandaids

Nylon Faceshine // 6. Going Crazy Face Tattoos

If you like, please consider to support my work 🖤 ● ALL MY CC DOWNLOADS

[le-artpotat]

Surprise vacation!

[merilles]

Ladies of the Ring 💍✨

[slavhew]

DO YA THINGKU

for a twitter trend of redrawing miku as album covers!! i wanted to do one of my favorite single from gorillaz. Cover-accurate ver + closeups:

this was definitely the biggest thing ive drawn this year!! and a good chunk of it on stream. thank you everyone who tuned in!! it was loads more fun to make in company :]

[lynxgriffin]

Eldritchrune - Meeting Noelle

Story Setup Eldritchrune Masterpost

Susie and Noelle first meet when the whole party enters the Queen's domain! Susie comes to the rescue...even if Kris was the one that orchestrated it, ultimately!

(Just a small reminder that I draw these Eldritchrune comics out of chronological order, so be sure to check the masterpost for more!)

[shkika]

If W1 and Gabe ever find a truce, would Gabriel get annoyed by W1 talking to itself all the time or would they actually have good conversations between the 2 of them? Would Gabriel ask why the two of them decided to fuse in the first place? Are they even able to speak?? Who does the speaking??

(So many questions sorry!!! 😫)

Small assortment of low-effort fun doodles where Gabriel actually brings W1 to heaven for you anon!

First of all all of W1's internal dialogue is very much internal. The two brains constantly talk to each other in there silently. So if anything it will be eerily silent, because it'd simply forget to communicate what it's thinking about. VV1 simply has no inherent need to include anyone else in it's conversations with itself.

W1 does have a voice synthesizer and both of them speak. Both are very loose with what the other is allowed to say and I mean VERY. In addition, if they get too excited and try to use the voice synthesizer at the same time it gets super buggy!

As for Gabriel I think he lacks very important context and information about W1 as a whole. He doesn't even know or assume the machine is actually a buy one get one for free kind of deal. I think he'd be a bit..? Weirded out?

Not that he hasn't seen enough horrors, by all means hes desensitized. But Ultrakill's hell is full with quite a few entities that are all about unwillingly sharing a body and using that as torture. W1 enjoying it's predicament is... interesting..? It's curious even! He'd definitely ask it why it is the way it is!

... And many other questions too probably!!!! There's a lot to be curious about with this bug.

[croissantk]

Doodle dumppp + a few wips that I'm probably never gonna finish. Blegh

[utterdrip]

part iv of my favorite line reads by neil

[dorianpavus]

Panel from Hell Info Roundup

We got a release teaser trailer!

CHARACTER CREATION/CUSTOMIZATION

Character creation got a revamp! More efforts were made to explain things to someone who hasn’t played D&D before, or one who hasn’t played other Larian games. Classes now also have unique animations when you select them.

Choice options now have a corresponding icon, so you can see what you’re selecting.

There are more available faces to choose from.

Dragonborn and half-orcs are playable at launch.

Warlocks are now able to call on their patron for insight and advice.

New sliders have been added for Maturity (adding wrinkles), Freckle Quantity (and intensity), and Vitiligo Pigmentation.

Horn Customization! Now you can change their color and tip color.

There are scar options.

More hair and beard options! As well as more options for hair colors (including greying) to have tri-colored hair.

Strong/buff body types added!

Piercing options have been added.

Heterochromia option has been added.

Dragonborn can customize their face, crest, chins, and jaws. Skin color options include metallic, almost duo-chrome shades. For white dragonborns, there are also pearlescent effects. Dragonborn Draconic Bloodline sorcerers will get a unique scale pattern that changes color based on your ancestry.

There is also a selection for genitals, which they did not elaborate on, but was selected as ‘default.’

You will meet a character that will allow you to reset your class and respec your abilities.

The team went back from Act 1-3 to make the game more reactive to your choices. If you’re playing something odd or unique, the game should react to it.

THE DARK URGE

They are the new Origin Character, and they are avatar-only; they can only be played by you, not recruited.

You can fully customize their race and class.

They do not know who they are; they are waking up, and the only thing they know is “the bile of their liver, the gushing of their blood, and their ruined body telling them: you’re going to kill and kill again.” They are meant to be a dark counterpoint to the story.

Has unique scenes and storylines unlike anything else we’ve seen thus far.

They have dark impulses and thoughts that tempt them; you can play as embracing it or trying to resist.

At 4:36:55, we have some gameplay of them from early on in Act 1.

KARLACH

She is an Origin Character, and you can recruit her or play as her.

Born and raised in Baldur’s Gate, was sold to slavery in the Hells, and managed to break free. She has an infernal engine for a heart.

She’s a barbarian who has a special rage animation/effect.

Curses a lot.

At 5:20:00, there’s a bit of extended gameplay and one of her romance scenes.

OTHER/MISC COMPANIONS

Many of the companions are good-aligned, including Karlach, Halsin, Minsc, and Jaheira. For evil companions, there is Minthara, who you can recruit in Act 2 depending on your choices.

Wyll has gotten a complete overhaul. Much of his dialogue has been rewritten, and he “can go in two directions” much earlier in the story. He wants to kill Karlach at the beginning of the game, and how that unfolds is up to you. 

If you kill your companions, you can hire Hirelings. There are twelve (one for each of the classes), and you can customize and respec them.

Companions will join your camp and be able to come with you along your journey; you don’t have to choose between them, but can swap them out as you see fit. If anyone leaves or isn’t able to be recruited, it will be by your own choices or the narrative.

When you’re playing as an Origin Character, you’re not a mystery to yourself. You’ll get unique scenes and information that you may not otherwise get with them as your companion. For instance, when you go to sleep, you might have nightmares about your past.

A scene relevant to Astarion’s backstory was shown at 4:25:57.

ROMANCE

They tried to show “two people genuinely struggling through a hard time and supporting one another. And you’re not going to be the same person in Act 1 as you are in Act 3. Neither is your partner. Your relationship is going to have to grow along with the game’s story.” 

At 4:46:10, they have a video where they discuss this and show scenes from the romances. 

How you treat your companions will be reflected in how they treat you. Whether they want to be in a relationship with you, whether they leave your party, or even try to kill you -- all depends on your choices. 

“Sometimes it’s actually better to have an argument, and challenge your partner about their way of thinking.”

Some characters will happily share romantic partners with polyamory; some of them won’t.

Characters may have very different romantic endings based on what happens during the game and how you treat them or what you did with them. There’s not just one scene that’s the same for all playthroughs.

You can still romance people on “evil” playthroughs, so long as you play your cards right.

Mature content warning! There is a romance scene between Astarion and Halsin that the audience helped select at 5:32:49. Wowza. Worth getting banned from TikTok? 

COMBAT

Multiplayer is up to four people, with split screen. 

There are 3 difficulty modes: explorer (or easy), default, and tactician (hard). Tactician mode gives enemies base buffs, but also hand-crafted difficulty increases to encounters. 

The “brutal AI” from tactician mode is supposed to feel like a DM that is pushing you to your limits, which manifests in ways like attacking your squishier characters, or trying to break casters’ concentration.

At 5:44:28, there’s a video showcase on the Monk class. Two minutes later, at 5:46:13, there’s some combat gameplay showing off monks and the different difficulty modes.

STORY AND CINEMATICS

At 6:00:40, there’s a video showcasing cinematics, with various clips from the game featured (lots of enemies/creatures shown). 

They estimate that running through the main story will take about 80 hours, but it can go multiple times that length if you actually take your time and explore. 

174 hours of cinematics doesn’t mean you’ll see all of them; it’s more that there’s so many permutations and reflections of the choices that you made, that you might not even see them all even if you play this game over and over again.

MISC

When you go to camp, you are now able to wear “camp clothes” rather than your armor, which can be toggled on and off. You can find various clothes in the world, and apply dyes to them. You can wear them outside of camp if you want to as well. 

Cloaks are added.

The devs prefer not to think of this being a story told to you, but rather a story they are telling with you. Though there are many themes, trust is a big one: who you can trust, why you can trust them, and why the world should trust you as well.

There’s an unboxing of the Collector’s Edition at 6:14:26.

There is a very heavy spoiler chunk of gameplay from Act 2, starting at 6:20:42, which closes out the stream!